Chicago Fire II

Who Fire Fans Should Watch For in the NCAA Tournament

Alex Calabrese

21 Nov 2024 — 5 min read

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The NCAA Men’s Soccer Tournament kicks off tomorrow, and several players connected to the Chicago Fire will be among those vying for the crown. 2024 was a strong season for players the Fire Academy sent off to college, and several of them will play big roles in the tournament this fall. Here are the teams you’ll want to keep an eye on and which players they can rely upon.

Indiana – Luka Bezerra, Easton Bogard, Charlie Heuer, and Michael Nesci

The connection between the Fire and Indiana is strong and extends beyond just current Fire fullback Andrew Gutman and recently departed forward Victor Bezerra. Two of the team’s most efficient players this season – Charlie Heuer and Michael Nesci – started the calendar year playing for Fire II, and moved to Indiana midway through.

Heuer made nine appearances for Fire II to start the year, and got several opportunities to showcase himself before moving to Indiana. Head Coach Todd Yeagley was slow to integrate him into the Hoosiers’ lineup, and Heuer has only appeared in nine matches with one start. However, he has made the most of those limited minutes, notching a goal and four assists from midfield. He was also named to the Big 10’s All-Tournament team for his contributions.

His Fire II teammate, Nesci, has also made the most of his opportunities despite having just five starts in 15 appearances. Nesci has scored four times this season, often playing in a center forward role that he did not usually fill for the Fire this year. Fire Academy teammate Easton Bogard, another freshman, has made seven appearances, all off the bench.

Bezerra’s younger brother, Luka, who scored a penalty in IU’s 2022 College Cup final shootout loss to Syracuse, is on the roster but did not appear this season. Former Fire homegrown Jeremiah Gutjahr is also an assistant coach.

Georgetown – Max Viera

Junior midfielder Max Viera has legitimately had a rock-star season for a Georgetown Hoyas team that just won the Big East tournament and will be a top contender for the NCAA crown. Viera has started all 20 games for the Hoyas, including playing 78 minutes in the Big East Tournament final win over Providence.

After appearing twice for Fire II in 2022 as a forward, Viera spent the majority of this season on the left side of a 4-4-2. He has added four assists this season and came close to scoring an incredible goal in the Big East final when a shot from distance was well saved. With Georgetown claiming the tournament’s #4 overall seed, expectations will be high this month, but their recent form has demonstrated that they will certainly be right up there with the country’s best.

Wake Forest – Dylan Borso

The Fire’s top product in college soccer this year was always going to be Borso, and he has broken through in recent weeks as Wake Forest have stepped up after a slow start to the season. Borso burst onto the scene in September with a goal and assist off the bench against Syracuse, contributing to his total of 2 goals and 4 assists.

Borso was a key part of Wake’s triumph in the ACC Tournament this month; he started all four matches en route to the trophy, including assists against Syracuse and Virginia before converting his penalty kick in the final shootout against Clemson. Borso has been deployed mainly on the left wing this year, usually differently to his typical central midfield role for Chicago Fire II this season; it’s also no surprise that his ascent into the starting eleven has coincided with Wake’s rise to red-hot form.

Despite being the #8 overall seed, Wake Forest has an intriguing road to the College Cup. The bracket seems prime for an ACC final rematch against Clemson if both teams can survive the first round, and from there, things could be wide open. Keeping up the form they displayed in the ACC Tournament would enable Wake to be a real championship threat. A strong tournament would also intensify the discussion around Borso, who is already being discussed as a potential Fire homegrown signing.

Western Michigan – Christian Shannon

Shannon out of Western Michigan is something Fire fans might have heard before; Christian’s older brother, Jaylen, was signed by Chicago Fire II last season, and even appeared for the first team in one Leagues Cup match. The younger Shannon, a freshman, has had an incredible season in the Missouri Valley Conference. In 19 matches, the center back has added two goals and three assists.

Western Michigan will, by many accounts, be one of the most interesting teams to watch in this tournament. An upset loss to Evansville in the conference tournament slowed their hype, but prior, they lost just once all year and earned strong results against the likes of Akron, Vermont, Northwestern, and Dayton. Shannon is among the team’s top prospects, and will be the center of the focus for any scouts tuning in as they seem primed to make a shock run.

Worth a shoutout…

There are a few noteworthy players who graduated from the Fire system who won’t be playing in the tournament, but whose NCAA seasons are worth a mention. Most importantly, Noeh Hernández has had a ridiculous season for DePaul – the former Fire II player won Big East Midfielder of the Year as a sophomore, particularly impressive considering that DePaul went 2-4-2 in the conference with a -10 goal difference. Hernández is a key starter for the Puerto Rican national team and recently scored his first international goal; he’s ready for a step up from DePaul’s level, and could be someone to test the transfer portal this winter.

Two other former academy players close to home were their respective teams’ best players this year; junior Mitar Mitrović was Marquette’s top scorer from defensive midfield, scoring five times. Marquette finished tied with DePaul for third place in the Big East’s Midwest division. Wisconsin’s Trip Fleming III, who appeared for Fire II in 2022 and 2023, played 13 times for the Badgers and scored five goals this year as they finished 2-5-3 in the Big 10.